UK Defence Secretary at Silicon Sensing

08 June 2017

During a recent visit to local technology companies and other establishments in the city of Plymouth, the UK Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon, along with local MP Johnny Mercer, briefly met staff from Silicon Sensing. Sir Michael was shown the range of inertial sensors produced by the company and their diverse applications. A new thread of the business at Silicon Sensing is the growing demand for the company’s precision MEMS (Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems) gyroscopes and accelerometers, historically confined to high-end applications for aerospace and defence, for use in the emerging Autonomous Vehicle and Self-driving Car industries. This is a classic example of dual-use technology where the needs of commercial and military systems overlap, with consequential benefits for both markets. The Defence Secretary was particularly interested to understand the story behind the unique Anglo-Japanese business relationship developed by staff at SSS in Plymouth and at Sumitomo Precision Products in Amagasaki. This highly successful co-operation has evolved over twenty-five years and is regarded as a model for international engineering joint ventures.